Academic Studies
Mayas studied Jazz Piano at “Universität der Künste” Berlin 1999-2001, followed by an "Erasmus" exchange year at the “Conservatorium van Amsterdam” under Misha Mengelberg, 2001.
Further Studies and Diploma in Jazz piano performance at “Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler" Berlin under Georg Gräwe, 2002-2004.
Since 2015, she is undertaking Phd studies at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden in Music Performance and Interpretation, investigating instrumental techniques, timbre and spatiality in
improvised music performance.
Performances/Collaborations
Mayas performs internationally solo and in collaboration with a large number of musicians and composers.
She has performed and toured in Europe, the USA, Australia, Mexico and Lebanon and collaborated with many leading figures in improvisation and composers such as John Butcher, Andy Moor, Zeena
Parkins, Joelle Leandre, Paul Lovens, Ikue Mori, Phill Niblock, Peter Evans, Andrea Neumann and Axel Dörner. She has performed at festivals and exhibitions such as Maerz Musik (2012,2015),
Documenta (2012) or the Berlin Biennale ( 2014).
Radio Work
2013 Documentary for ABC Australia, “Inside Piano”
the history of playing the piano with extended techniques and modern practitioners today, including research regarding historic keyboard instruments, composers ( Cage, Cowell, Bertoncini)
as well as interviews with pianists using extended techniques today (John Tilbury, Anthony Pateras, Reinhold Friedl, Andrea Neumann)
2014 Documentary for ABC Australia, “Real Time Music Berlin”
approaches and styles of improvised music, particularly the “Echtzeitmusik” scene in Berlin, interviews with practitioners and curators
2014 Feature for Deutschlandradio Kultur, “Dream Machine Beirut”
2014 September “Dream Machine Beirut” adapted for ABC Australia
2015 sound essay for ABC, Australia, Creative Audio Unit, “Home is where the heart is”
Curatorial Projects
Magda Mayas has been curating experimental music events and festivals in Berlin since 2005.
As part of her ongoing research, Mayas founded “Tasten-Berliner Klaviertage” festival, running from 2005-2009, during which contemporary and innovative approaches for the piano were presented,
(www.tasten.org), featuring pianists and composers such as John Tilbury, Anthony Pateras, Chris Abrahams and Ian Pace.
(with support from “Ernste Musik Projektförderung ” Berliner Senat)
2009
artistic director of “Biegungen” together with Clare Cooper, at “ausland”, Berlin including concerts with Andy Moor, Sven Ake Johansson, Annette Krebs, Joe Williamson, Rhodri Davies, Andrea
Neumann, David Watson, Christine Abdelnour
2013
artistic director of “COMPASS” Festival together with Tony Buck, an exchange between leading Lebanese and Berlin musicians and sound artists.
http://www.ausland-berlin.de/compass
(with support from Goethe Institut and Bezirksamt Pankow Berlin)
2019
co curating Festival „Music Unlimited” in Wels, Austria together with Kazu Uchihashi and Joe McPhee
http://www.waschaecht.at/music-unlimited/
TEACHING
Masterclasses / Artist Talks / Workshops
Magda Mayas has been giving workshops and masterclasses at Universities and festivals all over the world.
Europe
Musikhögskolan, Malmö, 2010, Workshop on approaches in improvised music with Tony Buck
Brno/Czech Republic, „Exposition of New Music Festival“, 2010, Lecture on styles and approaches in improvised music with Tony Buck
Lublin/ Poland „John Cage Year 2012“ at the Faculty of Arts MCSU
3 day symposium on Cage, the prepared piano, history and modern approaches of inside piano playing
Universität Bern, 2016, with Daniel Studer and Frantz Loriot
USA
Mills College, 2012 lecture and workshop on contemporary improvised music approaches with Tony Buck
Wesleyan University 2011 lecture and workshop on contemporary improvised music approaches with Tony Buck
University of Berkeley California, 2012, teaching Myra Melfords class on contemporary improvised music approaches with Tony Buck
Bard College 2011 concert and lecture on improvised music approaches with Tony Buck
Cornell University 2011 concert and lecture on improvised music approaches with Tony Buck
Singapur
La Salle College 2013 Approaches in Improvised music, with Tony Buck
SOMA, 2014, Prepared and Inside piano in history and modern practice
Australia
Brisbane, Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University
2012, Approaches in Improvised music, with Tony Buck
Brisbane, Queensland University of Technology,
2012, Approaches in Improvised music, with Tony Buck
Sydney Conservatory,
2012 Solo Recital and artist talk, composition class on inside/prepared piano playing
2015 with Tony Buck on Approaches in Improvised Music
Monash University Melbourne,
2015, Solo concert and workshop
Musicschool
2007 - 2017, co-founder and director of „Neue Musikschule Berlin“, www.neue-musikschule-berlin.de
offering instrumental lessons at 10 different schools all over Berlin, as well as interdisciplinary projects, higher education courses and workshops incl teachers and guest artists such as Marc
Sabat, Barre Philips, Ute Wasserman, Axel Doerner, Peter Ablinger, Tony Buck and Burkhard Beins.
Performances/Collaborations (selection)
Mayas performs internationally solo and in collaboration with a large number of musicians and composers.
Magda Mayas has performed and toured in Europe, the USA, Australia, Asia, Mexico and Lebanon and collaborated with many leading figures in improvisation and composers such as John Butcher, George Lewis, Andy Moor, Eddie Prévost, Phill Niblock, David Sylvian, Zeena Parkins, Fred Frith, Hamid Drake, Joelle Leandre, Paul Lovens, Ikue Mori, Ken Vandermark, Okkyung Lee, Nic Collins, Elliot Sharp, Maja Ratkje and Chris Corsano.
2020 February, A race in space festival Luzern, solo
2020 January, Accretion solo with 3 pianos, in Berlin, studio Boerne and Gothenburg,
Vasakyrkan
2019 November, with Vellum, Tony Buck and John Butcher, at ausland Berlin
2019 November, co curating Festival „Music Unlinmited“ in Wels, Performance with Joe
McPhee and Kazu Uchihashi, and Zeena Parkins, Rhodri Davis, Angharad Davis,
Anthea Caddy, Michael Thieke, Christine Abdelnour, AImee Theriot,
2019 October, solo at Gropius Bau Berlin within Rashid Johnson’s work “Antoine’s
Organ”
2019 June, at KM28 with Elliot Sharp and Hillary Jeffrey
2019 May, at Exploratorium Berlin with Liz Allbee, Ute Wassermann, Martin Blume,
Thomas Lehn, Phil Minton
2019 April, solo at Centre for New Music SF, USA
2019 April, residency at Montalvo Arts Centre Saratoga, USA
2019 March, solo performance of „Memory piece“ at the 29 speaker dome at KMH
Stockholm
2019 March, with Nic Collins and Liz Allbee at KM28 Berlin
2018 September with Christine Abdelnour at Ultima Festival Oslo
2018 September, at Willisau Jazz Festival with Spill
2018 August at Meteo Festival France with Splitter Orchester
2018 July at Kopenhagen Jazzfestival with Lotte Anker and Fred Frith
2018 May, at Akademie der Künste Berlin, with Next International
Ken Vandermark, Mette Rasmussen, Nate Wooley, Mats
Äleklint, Jasper Stadhouders, Emilio Gordoa, Steve Heather
2018 April, with Susanne Abbuehl and Marylin Mazur at Lyon Opera
2018 March, Borealis festival with Stephan Meidell’s Metrics
2018 February, Solo at the Berlin Berlinale, in a project with Georges Méliès movies
2017, November, New York, Stone mit Ikue Mori, Tony Buck, Ned Rothenberg und
Billy Martin
2017, November, New York, duo mit Zeena Parkins, Columbia University
2017, August, Méteo Festival Mulhouse, with Spill
2017, August, A l’arme Festival Berlin, with Okkyung Lee, Chris Corsano and Christine
Abdelnour
2016, November, Bimhuis Amsterdam, Necks 30th Anniversary Festival, with Tony Buck
and John Butcher
2016, November, at “Music Unlimited” Wels, Austria, with Zeena Parkins, Carla Kihlstedt
and Bob Ostertag
2016, September, LA, Duo with Maja Ratkje
2016 May, The Empty Gallery, Hong Kong, with Spill
2016, April, “Geiger”, Gothenburg, with Eddie Prévost, Palle Dahlstedt and Per Anders
Nilsson
2015 November, at the Huddersfield Festival for Contemporary Music, with Berlin
Splitter Orchester
2015 November, at Jazzfest Berlin, with Berlin Splitter Orchester
2015 July, Kongsberg Jazz Festival with Spill
2015 June, Art of improvisation Festival, Wroclav, with Tony Buck and John Butcher
2015 May, El nicho Festival Mexico City, Spill
2015 March, Maerzmusik Festival, Berlin, within a project of Zeena Parkins
2015 March, Solo at Monash University Melbourne, Australia
2015, Februar, Solo at “Te Uru” Gallery Auckland, New Zealand, as part of the Michael
Parekowhai Piano Artwork Exhibition
2014 October, Festival Densites, France with Laura Altman and Monika
Brooks
2014 October performance within a project of Tarek Atoui at the Louis Vuitton
Foundation Paris, with Ikue Mori, Jim Black, Zeena Parkins, Keith Rowe, Burkhard
Beins, Axel Dörner, among others
2014 May/June performance within a project of Tarek Atoui at the Berlin Biennale,
at the Museum for Music Ethnology in Berlin Dahlem
2014 May, „ausland“ Berlin, with Jon Rose
2014 January,„All ears festival“ ,Oslo with Laura Altman and Monika
Brooks
2013 November, “Suddenly Listen” Music series, Halifax, Canada
2013 October, “Dream Machine” Festival, Beirut, solo performance with “N+M” sound
and video installation by Phill Niblock
2013, September, Baltimore, USA, “High Zero” festival, solo
2013, September, “Roulette” New York, Solo
2013, September, “Walcheturm” Zurich, with Daniel Studer, Peter Frey
2013, August, “Concepts of doing” Festival Berlin, with Chris Burn
2013, July, “Konfrontationen“ Festival, Austria, with Paul Lovens, Tony Buck, Hamid
Drake, Joelle Leandre, Liz Albee, Christoph Kurzmann.. “Butch Morris Memorial
Band”
2012 November, “Sound of Stockholm” Festival with Laura Altman and David
Stackenäs
2012 November, “Fri Resonans” Festival, Trondheim, with Tony Buck and Laura Altman
2012 November, “Unlimited Festival” Wels, Austria, with Laura Altman and Monika
Brooks
2012 October, “Rendez vous contemporains de saint merry”, Paris, with Laura Altman
2012 October, London, “Cafe Oto” with Laura Altman and Phil Durrant
2012 September, San Francisco, CNMAT Berkley, with Gino Robair and Tony Buck
2012 September, Seattle,USA, ”Nonsequitur” concert series, solo
2012 September,Interdisciplinary project with writer Carla Harryman (USA) presented at
“Dokumenta 2012”
2012, May, “Muse ruole Festival”, Bolzano, solo
2012 January, “Zwei Tage Zeit” Festival Zürich, with Tony Buck
2011 November, “Sound trips” Tour in Munster, Cologne, Wuppertal, Germany, with
Christine Abdelnour
2011 October, “Densites” Festival, France, with Jim Denley
2011 September, “I beam”, New York, with Nate Wooley and Tony Buck
2011 September, “Roulette “ New York, with Tony Buck
2011 August, “Meteo festival”, Mulhouse, France, with Christine Abdelnour
2011 July, “Konfrontationen” Austria, with Laura Altman and Monika Brooks
2011 May, “Codes” Festival, Lublin, Poland with Christine Abdelnour
2011 May, “Freedom of the city” festival, London with John Butcher and Tony Buck
2011 March, Collaboration with Phill Niblock on the video installation piece “N+M”
which was premiered in Berlin at the festival “Maerzmusik” and presented at the
Elysee Lausanne as part of his 80th anniversary retrospective
2011 January Festival “Mona Foma”, Hobart, Australia, with Tony Buck
2011 January, “Bennets Lane”, Melbourne, solo
2010 November, “ÄÄNEN LUMO” Festival Helsinki, with Tony Buck
2010 October, Oslo, “Nasjonal Jazzscene”, with Tony Buck
2010 September, “Echtzeitmusik” Festival, Berlin, Solo
2010 September,Ystad, “Modern Art Museum” with poets Ida Borjel and
Uljana Wolf
2010 May, “Ring Ring” festival, Belgrade with Tony Buck, James Welburn and Brendan
Dougherty
2010 May, “Cafe Oto” with John Butcher and Tony Buck,
2010 April, “Fylkningen”, Stockholm with Christine Abdelnour,
2010 April, “Irtijal” Festival Beirut, with Tony Buck
2010 March, “Borealis” Festival, Oslo, with Tony Buck
2009 December, “Next” Festival, Bratislava,with Andy Moor, Christine Abdelnour,
Tony Buck
2009 November, “Fri Resonans” Festival, Trondheim, Solo
2009 October, “City of Women” Festival, Ljubljana
2009 October, “Approximation” Festival Dusseldorf, with Tony Buck
2009 July, “Konfrontationen” festival, Austria, with Andy Moor, Christine Abdelnour,
Tony Buck
2009 March, “Exposition of New Music”, Brno,Czech Republic with Sabine Vogel and
Michael Renkel
2009 February, Boston, Goethe Institute, with Annette Krebs and Anthea Caddy
2009 February “Princeton University” with Annette Krebs and Anthea Caddy,
2009 February, “Bowerbird Series”, Philadelphia, with Annette Krebs and Anthea Caddy
2009 January,USA Tour with Annette Krebs and Anthea Caddy,
“Stone”, New York
2008 November, “Labor Sonor Berlin” with Okkyung Lee and Tony Buck
2008 September, “Douglas Street Music Collective”, New York, Trio with Tony Buck,
Nate Wooley
2008 September, “Hideout” Chicago, with Tony Buck
2008 September, “Roulette” New York, Solo
2008 August, Issue Project Room, New York, with Andy Moor
2008 May, “Moers Festival” with Robin Fox, Anthea Caddy, Clare Cooper,
Clayton Thomas
Discography:
2020 Duo with Christine Abdelnour on Sofa records
2019 Volumes “View” mit Fredrik Rasten, Isak Hedtjärn and Torstein Lavik Larsen on Va Fongool
2019 The Pitch and Splitter Orchester, Frozen Orchestra (Splitter) on mikroton recordings
2018 Spill “Stereo” mit Tony Buck on Corvo records Berlin
2017 “Tempe Jetz” Jim Denley Duo on creative sources
2017 “Boule Spiel” with Eric Normand and Pierre Yves Martel on tour de bras
2017 “The afterlife of trees” mit Ernesto Rodrigues, Biliana Voutchkova, Guilherme
Rodrigues, creative sources, Portugal
2017 “Metrics” with Stephan Erlend Apneseth, Morten Barrikmo
Hans Knut Sveen, Stefan Lindvall on Hubro records
2016 Solo “Terrain”, on Gaffer Records
2016 Album Splitter Orchester/Felix Kubin – Shine on you crazy diagram, mit Splitter
Orchester, on Gargarin Records
2016 Album George Lewis & Splitter Orchester – Creative Construction Set, mit George
Lewis and Splitter Orchester, on mikroton recordings
2016 “Hue”, Great Waitress on Another Dark Age
2015 “Spill plus” with Tony Buck and Damon Smith, on nuscope, USA
2015 Studer Frey, one track on Leo Records
2014 “Flock” with Great Waitress, Monika Brooks and Laura Altman, creative sources,
Portugal
2014 “Echtzeitmusik” berlin on microtone, one track with Spill
2014 “Radiation”,Transmit, with Tony Buck, Brendan Dougherty, James Welburn on
Monotype
2013 “Fluoresce”,SPILL (Duo with Tony Buck) monotype, Poland
2013 “Plume”, trio with Tony Buck and John Butcher, unsounds, Netherlands
2013 “Fukushima!” compilation, Solo, on presqu'ile records, Switzerland
2013 “Gardener” Duo with Chris Abrahams, relative pitch records, New York
2012 “Stockholm Syndrom” with SPILL (Duo with Tony Buck) on
Beirut label “al maslakh”
2012 “Thread”, with Annette Krebs and Anthea Caddy, Another timbre, England
2012 “Myriad”, Duo with Christine Abdelnour, unsounds, Netherlands
2012 “Lucid” with “Great Waitress”,Monika Brooks and Laura Altman, splitrec, Australia
2011 “Schatten” Duo with Anthea Caddy (cello), Dromos Records, Portugal
2010 "Heartland" Solo, Another Timbre, England
2010 "Teeming" Duo with Christine Sehnaoui (alto sax),Olof Bright, Sweden
2009 "Gold", with Spill, Creative Sources, Portugal
2008 “Mayas Nutters Olsen Galvez”, Creative Sources, Portugal
2007 Trio Cd “phono phono”,with Sabine Vogel and Michael Renkel,
Absinth Records, Berlin
2005 “Mayas Nutters Olsen Galvez – Dirty in the different tradition”,
with Koen Nutters, Morten Olsen, Carlos Galvez, fmr, London
2003 “n-collective - News from Holland vol.1”, x-or records
with Koen Nutters, Morten Olsen, Carlos Galvez
2003 n collective, news from Holland volume 1, one track with
“Mayas Nutters Olsen Galvez
Presse
“..Magda Mayas has expanded the language for internal piano music making”
Peter Margasak, Downbeat Magazine, 2010
"...it's hard to believe that it's a recording of solo piano music. Mayas' training as a classical musician has helped her develop a highly attuned sense of touch for the keyboard, which is still in evidence but now extends to the percussive treatment of strings, arresting control of attack and resonance, and the real-time orchestration of timbres…she's developed an approach to the piano that grapples with the entire instrument, from strings to soundboard, keys to frame..." Michael Rosenstein - Paris transatlantic magazine
"It is one of the widest and deepest adventures into the sonic heart of the piano, including its entire cardiovascular system attached to it.(...) It is so powerful that it's captivating."
Stef Gijssels
"Put together, it's an exhilarating sonic brew: after her introductory drones disperse, the music flies with cartoon-like velocity. Metrically intricate, brittle patterns ricochet against the instrument casing like it's a pinball machine, strings twanging together like the expressive tuning of a blues guitarist. Towards the finish, keyboard harmonies get more empathically struck – Mayas began with the future and has worked back to the instrument we already know."
Phillip Clark, The Wire